Melting his Heart
by Yamiyugikun
Summary: Set in Advent Children. As Cloud faces his own impending death from Geostigma, Reno comes into his life teaching him what it means to be human and live again through love. RenoCloud romance. MaleMale. Yaoi. Chapter 2 up.
1. Chapter 1

Rated M for language, heavy angst, and lime later on.

A/N: I found it cute that Reno kept bugging Cloud throughout Advent Children, and that led to this fic Let's bring on the yaoi! Mwa haha. Square-enix owns those lovely boys.

As his motorcycle came to a stop, its engine died down and its broad frame jerked to the side, the paint on it lacquered blacker than midnight, reflecting shades of gray from the surrounding rocky terrain, with occasional flashes of green off of nearby trees. To reach this particular area he drove over a steel bridge from a dirt road on the other side, which snaked through mountainous terrain, every perilous curve navigated with an inborn ease his superior reflexes bore.

His boots hit the ground with a thud as he dismounted, letting Fenir drop on its kickstand. He kicked up dust, trudging with heavy steps heard as a loud, echoing patter across to a run down metal building, a remnant of human industry alien in this landscape. From its lookout atop stony cliffs, winding valleys twisted below, blanketed by lush vegetation, exposing naked rock patches on their vertical faces. Behind the metal building, another cliff rose high above. Just beyond more vegetation, a waterfall cascaded at least a quarter mile down in a graceful arc to a ravine deeply cut below.

The metal building, a sheer unnatural white, tainted any beauty the scenery might have possessed. An old ugly walkway, wood half rotting to a dark putrid brown rendered the place as worse. The black clad motorcyclist lumbered up the walkway, over its creaking planks without a thought or care. Deep in his heart he knew someday he'd die from Geostigma. The knowledge of his fate manifested in his demeanor, silent as a cold winter's night, the kind shrouded in darkness beyond the reach of light.

He spoke no words, his presence foretold only by heavy footsteps and the dangling of chains as he walked. "In Love of Silence," read the road sign he passed on the way to the Geostigma Sanctuary. Silence best described him. Whether he loved silence personally, or said nothing because of his inner sorrow, nobody really knew.

He came to this building, the Healin Lodge because Tifa told him to, having received a dozen urgent calls from Reno.

"That damn Turk, what does he want?" hissed Cloud to himself, up the final set of the walkway's old steps, leading to the Sanctum's porch. He hated to be bothered, preferring to wander, running without thought. If he couldn't think, life might be less painless, easing the existence of suffering. His suffering from the sin he harbored inside.

Throwing his left arm out, covered over in black to hide the effects of Geostigma, he pushed open the front door to the Sanctum. In the same fluid movement, with the other hand, he unsheathed his massive sword from the leather sling behind his back. Never trusting, always wary someone might kill him.

From inside the Healin Lodge's dark circular room, a pair of intrusive eyes fell upon him. He took no chances lunging forward, blade thrust out about to kill, dark steel gleaming in the light. Flooding from the entranceway behind him. The light broke as another long metal object crossed his, not exactly a blade of sorts.

"Cloud, got my calls?" cried Reno, who spotted him before, now greeting him like an old friend, still bearing the object in hand. Excitement mixed with fear breaking out over the Turk's fair features at the way Cloud struck out.

No reaction, not even an "oh" from Cloud. This provoked Reno further who dashed at him again. Consumed by thoughts, Cloud simply moved to the side, letting Reno fall through the open door outside. It was about to slam in Reno's face when he wedged his body between the door and doorframe to keep it from shutting completely.

"Ya know how many calls I made?" Reno replied casually, kicking the door back wide open.

The ex-soldier already stepped away ignoring the redhead to see whom else might have called him here.

"Hey, trying to play it cool, eh?" added Reno, slightly annoyed. Usually nothing bothered him but today Cloud was that exception.

Reno, just leave me alone, prayed Cloud to himself, re-sheathing his mighty blade. 

"Just as I expected," sighed Reno at a loss, pacing in front of Cloud. Even if Reno didn't intend to, he finally tested Cloud's patience. "You could at least…"

With a powerful-gloved hand wielding supernatural strength, Cloud grabbed Reno by the shirt lifting him in midair. Breathing cut off, the Turk's sky blue eyes widened in shock, back pressed to the wall Cloud shoved him into.

Reno gagged, his body limp, dropping the object he held. He pleaded, grasping Cloud's leather clad hand with whatever will he mustered. "I…I'm sorry…" came the strained cry, syllables low and labored.

A pang of conscious struck, Cloud melting the tip of his icy heart. His grip softened, slowly at first, but never quite fully releasing Reno, just allowing the soles of his shoes to touch the ground. The wandering deliveryman forgot what it was like to interact with people, other humans during his two-year isolation after defeating Sephiroth and saving the world. Much changed then having lived his life alone. He hardly spoke or returned any calls, for grief weighed him down. And grief can make the heart ice over.

"Bad day, huh?" was Reno's simple reply, oblivious to Cloud's inner pain.

Cloud said nothing, body motionless, gaze averted at his feet below. That round boyish face, carved by sorrow set deep in clear crystalline eyes, somehow made him beautiful. Captivated, Reno lost all notions of logic, reaching up to brush Cloud's bare cheek. Feeling his smooth silky skin, colored by a slight rosy hue.

Neither moving nor startled, Cloud's gaze rose slowly up along Reno's body, studying him intently, stopping right at his face. Cloud's pools, a dark soul swallowing shade of blue, deeper than the sea and brighter then the sky stared out straight into Reno's soul. Rendering him helpless as he drowned in a depth and beauty never before experienced. Stirred by a feeling beyond all reason, he leaned forward, forgetting who he was and the man standing before him.

Cloud too lost himself releasing his grasp on Reno, feeling the redhead's arms wound about him. At last, a connection to another human being, isolation severed, if only for a moment. A few minutes later half dreaming, half awake, Reno stepped back, breaking the touch of lips.

_How could you? He'll kill you, _cried Reno's logical mind. His jaw clenched and eyes shut, awaiting the other man's attack.

Reno just heard the rise and fall of Cloud's steady breathing. Through half opened eyes, he made out Cloud's softening face, his expression somehow calmer, more human after all.

Only Zack ever did that when we were trapped in the basement of the Nibbleheim mansion, reflected Cloud to himself.

In a flashback Cloud remembered their intimacy. Trapped together in a glass tube, pain wracked bodies throbbing from Mako and Jenova cell injections. Then came Zack's gentle voice and his strong loving touch. "It's okay. I'll get us out of here because I want us to be free. And…I love you, Cloud." Zack's tender voice echoed in Cloud's memory beyond the veils of time. "Never forget that."

In the present, Reno gasped, back against the wall, his mind in utter shock, never before attracted to another man. "…dunno why …I…" he stuttered.

"It's okay," a sudden voice cut Reno off. It's tone low and soft like Zack's yet absent of overt emotion. Reno found a solace in it. Could it be that Cloud possibly spoke? Indeed he had, nevertheless with his back turned to Reno, scanning the scene around them. For he sensed others eavesdropping from the next room over.

Eyes invaded his space once again. Watching through a small round window set high in a wooden door. Inch by inch, the door's handle turned, as it slowly creaked open, stopping when it hit the edge of a leather couch huddled to the wall. The toe of a black shoe made itself visible by the bottom of the door before the rest of the person entered.

"Rude, you're here!" called out Reno from across the room, glad to see his partner.

A dark skinned man, hard as stone, slipped on a glove in silence. The only noises made were his steps and the rumble in the base of his throat. Reno paused, finding Rude's behavior odd. Some inner anger drove him towards Cloud in a quiet, mechanical walk.

Blade released, looming by Rude's throat, Cloud eyed him carefully.

_What's with Rude today?_ Wondered Reno to himself, bending over to pick up the metal object dropped earlier. Just then, it hit him. _S-Shit! It can't be!_ _He didn't see me kiss… _

Indeed, Reno's suspicions proved right. Rude had caught a glimpse of the kiss through the glass window in the door. Reno and Rude were Turks and partners together for a long time, over ten years. Reno was the only one Rude really spent time with. It never dawned on Reno that Rude developed deeper feelings than their friendship.

"Hey guys," muttered Reno, stepping closer, his fiery hair streaming out behind him like the tail of a phoenix blazing its path across the night sky.

"Impressive skills," commented a lone voice, apparently strained with Geostigma. A figure shrouded in white in an automatic wheelchair steered in. What truly intrigued him was the drama between the three. _So Reno's taken a liking to the ex-soldier._ _This may prove helpful in getting him to help Shinra rebuild the world,_ Rufus, thought.

The former Shinra president barely held Cloud's interest, unless his attackers were explicitly mentioned.

"Kadaj…" Cloud uttered softly, his stare facing down, mind deep in thought.

"That damn bastard, tried to interfere with our plans, didn't he, Boss?" added Reno, cutting in, standing right behind Cloud. A truly dedicated Turk, he did or said anything he could to back Rufus up.

Rufus understood this, nodding in approval like a ghost under his shroud.

Damn it, Reno, you're annoying me! Cursed Cloud to himself, spinning around to kick him. 

"Whoa!" Reno gasped, jumping back. "Easy there, man." Cloud's boot missed him by a hair's width and not on purpose either.

In reaction to this, Rude's growl deepened. A frown contorted his already hard face behind dark shades, if the surface of stone could be twisted. His body lunged slightly, the hand on his weapon tensing.

Rufus raised an arm from the wheelchair, draped in an eerie white. Rude remained in his spot. A devious smile rose on Rufus's lips, with the upper half of his face cloaked in shadow.

"Perhaps Kadaj attacked, taking you to be our friend," suggested Rufus subtly, offering a hand and lowering his head as he were sympathetic to Cloud. An unsettling light streamed in from the bay window behind him as darkness hid beneath.

"Cause you're with us! Right, pal?" Reno sauntered to Cloud's side, nonchalantly sliding an arm around Cloud's strong shoulders, living fully in the moment. A thrill raced through as he pulled Cloud close, laying his face on Cloud's left shoulder covering. The cool metal made him shiver.

_Reno, you…! _Cloud froze, aghast at Reno's tenacity, after Cloud had lashed out. How could Reno help himself otherwise, enthralled once again by Cloud's peerless beauty?

"Cloud…" Reno uttered his name. If the sun's gold rays could be captured, immortalized in a material form, it would be in Cloud's fine hair, with his highlights a white blond and lowlights a tawny yellow. If Reno could touch the moon's fair face, not as lifeless dust and rock but alive in the flesh he'd feel it in Cloud's skin.

As Reno drew closer, tightening his grip on the ex-Soldier, about to kiss his full lips, a heat burned in Cloud's blood beneath his skin. Fire raged through him from an unknown inner battle. A war of emotions threatened to tear apart his very being, shattered like a mirror, whose surface is broken over from the events in his life. Shards of memories barely held together, tapped by the belief that someday everything will be okay, because we truly want to be happy.

Aeris died to save humanity, Zack died to save me. Why? Cloud questioned, pondering deeply. They died to save me. I let them die. That's my sin. I can't save anyone. If people aren't close to me, then I don't have to save them. Yes, that's why it's better to be alone. 

"Leave me alone," Cloud said sharply, his voice cool as ice, cutting everyone around him. Then chilling them to the bone.

The cold beauty stormed out of the Healin Lodge, pushing Reno aside, his back turned away to everyone without a feeling or care.

"You jerk!" hissed Reno, shoved away by Cloud as he left.

"Let him—" Rufus tried to speak, edging forward in his wheelchair to the very spot Cloud had stood.

"Hell no!" Reno cut him off, glaring down at his boss.

Rude remained quiet taking a few steps to accompany Rufus.

"Reno, we need his help to protect us from Kadaj," Rufus reminded him calmly, hands joined together under his shroud. "After all, in the Northern Crater, if Tseng and Elena found Jenova's head, they might have been…"

"Killed, by Kadaj," Rude stated in a low deep voice, speaking for the first time, adjusting his sunglasses with leather gloved hands. The stone man had finally spoken, showing some signs of life.

"Tseng, Elena." All of the redhead's anger vanished, hearing the names of his fellow Turks. If Reno had a family, Tseng and Elena were part of it, along with what remained of Shinra.

He took a step back, bowing on the floor before Rufus in a gesture of apology. "Boss," he cried, prostrated on the floor. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright," came Rufus's collected reply, for he wasn't the least bit perturbed by Cloud's previous actions. As Shinra's president he learned to stay calm in all situations, only dropping the manipulative front used before Cloud. "Remember, we need him as our bodyguard, in case if Kadaj decides to attack."

"I understand, Boss. I'll do my best to get his help." In all honesty, Reno was sincere. He'd give his life for Rufus or another Turk if necessary.

"Then that'll be your new assignment. Now go." As a close-knit family, now more familiar than corporate since 2 years passed, Rufus understood this, motioning towards Rude to help Reno in this task.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cloud wanted to leave, mounting Fenir swiftly. He slipped on black goggles to protect his eyes from the whipping winds. Adjusting them slightly, he bent over starting the ignition. Head angled up, he squeezed the silver grip gears by the handlebars. The engine roared and the heavy back tire hissed with Fenir ready to go, to help him run from the Turks and himself.

_Why do the Turks think I can save them?_ Cloud contemplated. He sank deeper into his own inner darkness, wondering why he lived when his soul felt dead inside. From his body, his soul peered out at the world through eyes, sparkling like sapphires that questioned his very existence.

_I can't even save myself because I'm going to die_, the awful truth echoed deep in Cloud's heart. Awakened to a new understanding, he thought about why he ran. It wasn't really from the outside world, but in truth, his very own self.

Up until his final battle with Sephiroth he had a purpose, the will to win his freedom. As Zack was gunned down after escaping with Cloud, his last words were, "Cloud, be free!" Since that day, Cloud lived honoring Zack's wish. He would be free no matter what because that was what Zack died for. During the epic struggle against Sephiroth, Cloud's will strengthened, tempered like a warrior's in battle.

At the height of it Cloud's will peaked. High as the sun at zenith, burning brightly in the sky, manifesting in each thunderous blow that tore the heavens asunder, as he plunged his blade in Sephiroth. When Sephiroth's emerald eyes went wide and sweet mouth gaped open, blood trickled down his beautiful face. Then Sephiroth's perfectly muscled body, bare from the torso up, split open when the Lifestream broke free. In that moment, Cloud conquered darkness grasping true freedom at last.

Just as the sun rises, then sinks from its zenith towards sunset, so too would Cloud's spirit, having fulfilled its purpose. What rises must fall. So as time passed, the sun, like his life fell further below the horizon. It fell faster as he forgot the battle behind him, and the meaning of freedom itself. With that fading, he drifted not knowing why. Left without a purpose he wandered, his mind lost in darkness. He grew cold. His heart iced over, now numb.

He became a deliveryman who avoided all human contact whenever possible. Even the slightest meeting forced him to face his emotions. Confronting his emotions meant feeling his inner sorrow. Emotions of remorse harbored from the deaths of Zack and Aeris. This mass of guilt Cloud called sin. It hurt so bad he locked it away, forgetting that the pain lay within. Grieving directly over the deaths of his beloveds would force him to deal with his own inevitable death. That's why he ran only now realizing this in the present.

_I ran so hard, I forgot about my Geostigma_, Cloud reflected inwardly. Straightening himself on Fenir, he ripped the goggles from his face. He clasped them, placing a hand over his heart. _But this part of me always knew, right here._

His heart pounded under his touch as if aware of its own mortality. It knew that with every passing day, the Geostigma attacks worsened. The pain became so intense he passed out in minutes. What if, next time, after another attack he never awake again? This awful truth stabbed him like a knife churned deep in his gut.

_I'm going to die,_ Cloud cried silently, breaking down.

He froze, releasing his grasp on the silver gears, dropping the goggles in hand. All in the same fateful moment, with his mind and body crippled by the awareness of death. Sorrow, once solidified in clear crystal eyes welled up, threatening to spill from his rims. Inner emotions long bottled inside broke free with a vengeance, smashing through the blocks of self-control and mental barriers erected. Crushed swiftly in a second as everything he sought to deny flooded his fragile mind.

"So why should I even fight?" Cloud asked himself, his smooth baritone voice, musical to the ear, strangely calm and low. From eyes deep as the night sky, but bright as day he gazed out. His visage averted in a downward stare, softened by delicate features over his round pensive face.

"If I run, no one will know," came a whisper choked in his throat. He frowned blinking hard to fight back the tears. "Yes, that's what I'll do," he murmured, his voice tinged with sorrow.

Cloud swallowed his pain, hands clamping down on the silver gears, when out of the corner of his eye, a flash of red shot through his field of vision. It was Reno trampling down the walkway, his footsteps hitting hard. The old planks beneath reverberated under his gait, hammering as he neared. Loss from the possible deaths of Tseng and Elena ached deep in his heart. Guilt consumed him after exploding at Rufus and the fear of failing this new assignment raced through his thoughts like wildfire.

Mired in his own misery, Cloud paid no attention, glancing at the gears. Stepping off the walkway Reno kicked up dust, marching towards Cloud. The ex-soldier didn't even bother to look up or hit the Turk, lost in his depression.

"Like hell he'll help us," Reno muttered, shaking his head. Interpreting Cloud's silence as hostility, his temper flared.

"Asshole!" he cried, charging at Cloud wildly.

He missed, striking Fenir instead, when his target suddenly vanished.

"Ouch." Wincing, he clutched a hand to his chest, hugging it close. "The jerk thinks he's cool."

The instant Reno said that, he felt a curious gaze bearing down, watching his every move. When Cloud had disappeared, he alighted on some rocky terrain higher up. His speed was divine and lightning quick, surpassing Reno's vision. He just stood atop the naked rock face, motionless, as if lost in time. Only his clothes showed any signs of movement. The partial outer-skirt worn wavered in the wind. Beneath, his black pants billowed out and the sleeveless zip-top blew gently across his chest.

His sight downcast, he stared steadily at Reno. In his eyes Mako glowed subtly, illuminating them from the inside out. Reflecting Reno's image, a flame in his irises, violet in the outer rims blurred inward towards to a heavenly blue, with single points of light dancing in their depths. Somewhere inside the light, a divine spark twinkled, capturing Reno's soul.

_It's that look again!_ Reno thought, going absolutely still, shocked by his sudden feelings for Cloud. _I can't even concentrate. Tseng and Elena are gone. I yelled at the boss. Cloud is being an ass. This shit's too much, man._

Reno heaved a sigh, dropping his head. His brows drew together and wide green eyes narrowed in annoyance. Raising a cigarette to his mouth, he shoved its butt in, tightening his lips. He cupped one hand around its end, using the other to light it.

"Damn it, Cloud. What's yer problem?" he spat between puffs, pacing about below.

Only the wind whipping at Cloud answered from above. Without a word, Cloud stepped closer atop the stony ground overhead, observing Reno silently. No longer detached as he saw Reno's pain, his expression softened slightly, felt in the touch of his gaze.

Could it be that Cloud showered him with warmth? From another human being, yes. But for Cloud no, just a humanistic expression that he sensed Reno's distress. This surprised the Turk, leaving him speechless. Cloud rarely showed his emotions, masked beneath a frigid, forbidding exterior.

"Umm …" At a loss of words, Reno let his cigarette slip out. "You mad?"

"I don't know," came the ex-soldier's distant reply, a whisper Reno strained to hear.

Diving nimbly from the rock face above, Cloud somersaulted down, landing with knees bent, back angled forward, head tuck in and arms out in front. Reno gasped, catching this as a blur quicker than lightning. He couldn't breathe, realizing that Cloud could kill him swiftly. Rufus must have known that Kadaj possessed the same godlike strength and speed. The very thought chilled Reno's blood. He needed Cloud's protection for Rufus no matter the cost.

"Cloud, do somethin' for us." The redhead's desperate cry pierced the air. He collapsed on the ground, prostrated on his hands and knees begging. Proud and boastful, he never did this before. If Rufus was killed, he couldn't live. This intense fear drove him to act emotional far beyond his usual self.

Cloud had knelt down, meeting Reno eye to eye. "I can't," he uttered.

Lowering his face, Cloud searched for an answer, eyes shifting slowly under half shut lids. "I can't save anyone, neither family or friends. No one." A sense of emptiness filled his grief stricken voice.

"Bullshit!" Reno sprang up, lashing out at Cloud. He saw the warrior as strong, oblivious to his inner pain.

_Goddamn, Reno, I'm dying_, Cloud cried inwardly. _Don't you get it?_

Reno's words stabbed him deeply. Out of frustration, Cloud lunged forward hitting Reno. The Turk slammed into the rocky wall, where the ex-soldier had stood before on top.

_Why'd he do that?_ Reno wondered, finding his answer in Cloud's eyes.

Sparkling with sorrow, they revealed the pain in his soul. He would face death, unable to save his own mortal self. This anguish moved Reno's heart. He glimpsed it under Rufus's shroud right before Cloud arrived. It was an inner knowing beyond all denial one's life would end.

_Is he…dying?_ It suddenly dawned on Reno, awakening his conscious

With a sympathetic hand, he reached out stroking Cloud's face. Reno's lips parted, unable to utter words. Reno just exhaled, the rise and fall of his chest steady under his shirt and coat.

Cloud's breathing deepened. Bond feathery bangs blew over his face, hiding the gorgeous visage Reno longed to see. The moment their gazes first met, Reno saw something beautiful, a depth of feeling in the way he stared. Entranced, Reno forgot his troubles, like Rufus dying and Kadaj attacking. Time stopped this moment in Cloud's mysterious presence.

Reno's touch wandered under Cloud's chin. The warrior gasped, trembling from sensations. They triggered flashbacks with Zack calling out his name. His name in memory made him shiver and break into a sudden sweat.

"R-Reno." His voice low and heated, Cloud wrapped a hand around Reno's wrist. His gaze rose slowly, locked onto Reno's, penetrating his soul to the core. The stare set him on fire. Inner desires harbored came alive taking full control.

_I can't fight it, I want him,_ Reno cried, returning the same stare.

It shot through Cloud intensifying his ardor. Ever since Zack's death Cloud forgot what passion what felt like. He missed Zack dearly, burying his pain within so he might keep living. Perhaps it was then that his heart iced over, thickening as the years passed on.

When Reno kissed him before, that topmost layer melted. He became conscious realizing he hurt Reno. To feel pain meant to be human. As long as lived he'd feel pain. He realized this, gathering his courage to face his feelings in the present.

_I must keep living, even if I'll die soon, for Reno's sake as well as Zack's,_ Cloud realized in his heart. _For some reason, I need him._

No longer wanting to fight, Cloud undid the leather sheath across his back with his sword in it. Placing them on the ground, Cloud neared taking a stride towards Reno. In an intimate embrace Cloud kissed him deeply. Reno gasped, sinking fully in Cloud's steady grasp. Tilting his head back, he revealed his neck. The warrior's lips kissed his warm expanse of skin.

Cloud laid Reno beneath him, lowering him to the ground. He sucked at Reno's neck, yanking off his coat. Buttons flew off Reno's shirt as Cloud ripped it open, exposing his naked chest. With Reno pinned down, Cloud's tongue traced his left pectoral. Reno's breathing went deep and raspy. Moving in, Cloud's lips caught his left bud. He nipped lightly as his wet tongue played over. Then his lips teased the right bud, each firming under his loving touch.

"Cloud…" came Reno's strained cry, his body arching up against Cloud's. "I was an ass before cause I hurt ya…"

Rising up on his hands and knees over Reno, Cloud blinked, his expression calm even though his body ached.

"Didn't mean ta…" Reno sniffled, his arms reaching up, encircling Cloud's waist. Pulling him down as their hips pressed together in a tender embrace.

"It's…okay…" Cloud's soft voice trailed off, his mind lost in passion.

Overtaken taken by pleasure, a sudden wave rolled over from Reno moving under. In return, Cloud's body tensed, pushing down harder. His action drew out a blissful smile rising on Reno's lips.

"Ya like when I ache there, eh?" Lifting an elbow up, his forearm pillowed his head. His lower body swiveled, bringing Cloud's attention lower.

Blinking, the warrior wondered what Reno meant.

"Guess I'll have to tell ya." Laughing, Reno sat up. He placed Cloud's hand on his stomach. With his other free hand, Reno pulled the warrior's gloves off. Then unfastened his belt. Fabric gathered around his knees, freeing flesh that trembled.

"Put yer hand, there." He pronounced 'there' with a softness that dissolved Cloud's fear.

"Yeah, like…that." The redhead nodded, guiding Cloud's hands.

His strong fingers grasped Reno's silken flesh, pulsing and hot. Reno whimpered sinking into Cloud's caresses, feeling sweet vibrations course through. Cloud's glance traveled up, averted slightly. He found Reno's lips open, turning up in each corner to a subtle smile.

Catching its traces, Cloud thought about Zack. That smile, its the same. The very memory made Cloud teary. If I treat Reno the way Zack treated me, maybe he'll live on inside me.

The smiles of Reno and Zack overlapped, imprinted in his mind. Feeling as if both were there, Cloud let go of his pain. Letting passions blaze, their bodies turned and twisted in tawny dust. Eventually, Cloud rolled against Reno, nudging him back against the rock wall behind. Breathing heavily, Reno's hands slipped below tugging at the outer skirt over Cloud's pants. Pulled down far enough, tender flesh was freed.

"Reno, I…I…" The warrior lost his words, as cool air hit his excitement.

"Cloud, I know." Reno silenced him, claiming his lips. "Relax, against me."

Cloud's entire body released tension falling limp against Reno's. His firm flesh brushed past Cloud's, the touch feather light as a lover's first kiss. Cloud pressed back, slowly at first, then deeper, animated by love's rhythmic dance. A timeless beat of nature, the origin of existence itself. Discovered in each person swept in the dance. Its tempo quickened, soaring higher. Reno and Cloud's hearts pounded beating as one. Forgetting the "me" from the "you," freed in a world beyond thought, I am you and you are I. Baring our souls from their depths, from the deepest strata of ourselves, inner divinity is expressed. Building as release came, suspended in heaven, each spilled their sacredness. A warm essence coated chests and stomachs pressed together.

"That was…nice." Emotion tinged Reno's voice. He rested under Cloud, breathing under his weight.

Cloud lifted his head. With a meditative expression, he nodded agreeing. Somehow, this shift in his expression reflected an inner transformation he would only begin to understand in his new relationship with Reno.

TBC…


End file.
